The Demons of Townsville
by Tortured Artist
Summary: (PPG 1998 fanfic) The Powerpuff Girls are in over their heads as they fight against strange new villains who can alter their environment to fit their needs. The girls must quickly find a weakness to their power before these demons transform Townsville forever.
1. Chapter 1

The Demons of Townsville

Chapter 1

The City of Townsville... A peaceful, ordinary city, and although it is the home to many criminals and supervillains, the people live fairly peaceful lives thanks to the presence of the Powerpuff Girls. Their creator and father figure, Professor Utonium, returned to his normal suburban home to discover—

"I'VE BEEN ROBBED." Professor Utonium dug desperately through his drawers, cabinets, and closets, searching in vain for his missing invention, only to come to the conclusion that it was gone. Knowing what he had to do, he called the police. When school ended at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten, the Powerpuff Girls flew home, surprised to see a police car parked outside their home. Worried, they flew into the house to find the Professor talking frantically to a police officer who was copying everything he said onto a note pad.

"So could you describe the item that was stolen," said the officer.

"It was a silver colored cylinder about 6 inches high and 1 inch in diameter, and it had a radioactive symbol on it. I had left it right on my work bench in my lab, but when I came home it was gone."

"Was there anything inside of it?"

"Just a small sample of radioactive particles vaporized down to the atomic level and sealed into a vacuum."

"Uh, could you repeat that...in English?"

The girls flew over to the Professor, looking worried.

"What happened?" asked Blossom.

"Oh girls, thank goodness you're here," said Professor Utonium. "I was trying to invent a stable container of radioactive energy that was travel sized, but the prototype I was working on was stolen from my lab."

Without saying a word, Blossom zipped passed the Professor, and headed down into the lab. She flew over to the workbench, hovering over it. With her microscopic vision, she scanned the bench, looking intently for any signs of unknown fingerprints and other clues. To her surprise, however, rather than finding fingerprints, she saw what appeared to be tiny claw marks on the bench. Blossom stared at the marks, imagining a small, clawed creature climbing up the bench and stealing the cylinder. As she examined the floors, she saw faint four-toed prints leading to the table. The toes were long and prehensile like a raccoon. Concluding that the perpetrator must have gotten dirt on his feet, she followed the paw prints through the home, going up the stairs and toward a nearby window that had been left open. To her surprise, sitting on the windowsill, she saw a black cat with golden eyes staring at her. The cat wore a pink collar with a silver nametag. He stared at Blossom, letting out a soft meow as she approached.

"Shoo shoo!" said Blossom. The cat leaped off the windowsill, running off into the yard. She stuck her head out the window, and saw larger boot prints in the dirt outside the window.

 _There was an accomplice,_ thought Blossom. _There were at least two people involved in this robbery, but who? More importantly, why?_

#

Not far away from the suburban areas of Townsville, a little creature stood in the shadows behind a building, clutching the Professor's invention in his claws. The creature stood only a foot tall. He was skinny with lanky legs and arms, ending with clawed hands and prehensile feet. He had a hairless body with dark orange skin. His head was bat-like with large ears and large eyes. His tiny nose twitched as he affectionately sniffed the cylinder.

"Maxwell, will you stop playing with that thing," said a tall figure, hiding in the shadows.

The tiny creature called Maxwell stared up at him with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry, Master."

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"Of course," said Maxwell. "It's just the right shape and size for me. I just need a feel for the material inside. There's plenty of radiation, I can taste it."

"Then hurry up. I need your power, Maxwell."

"Of course, Master." Maxwell put both hands onto each side of the cylinder. He concentrated into the cylinder, psychically manipulating the atoms within. The radioactive materials inside suddenly became orderly, dividing the colder atoms from the warmer ones. Maxwell grinned as he felt the cylinder grow warm in his hands. He climbed up his master's coat and latched onto the back. He psychically channeled the energy into the coat, causing it to glow with power.

"Yes..." said the dark figure. "Yes... The power..."

#

Everyone gathered at the window, Blossom explaining what she had found.

"It does look like a small creature stole your invention," said Buttercup, eyeing the footprints, "but what could have done this?"

"Maybe it was a rat," said Bubbles.

"And why would a rat want the Professor's invention?" asked Buttercup.

"Um..." Bubbles hesitated, "because it's shiny..."

Buttercup facepalmed and let out an annoyed groan.

"Whatever could have done it," said the police officer, "it certainly sounds like it's out of my league. I'll go down town and file a report, but if it is some strange creature or supervillain, there's little I can do."

"I understand, officer," said Blossom. "We'll handle this from here."

"Good luck, girls." With a causal wave, the officer left the home.

"So, what're we gonna do?" asked Buttercup.

"I don't know," said Blossom. "We have no leads, no suspects...I think the best thing we can hope for is that the perpetrator will strike again."

As if on cue, the hotline buzzed. Blossom flew into the bedroom and picked up the phone. "Yes, Mayor, what is it?"

"Powerpuff Girls, help me!" shouted the Mayor over the phone. "The power is going out in my office and I can't watch TV."

"Really, Mayor?" said Blossom, annoyed. "How many times do I have to tell you that you should only call when..." She paused when she noticed the lights in the house were flickering. "Hold on, Mayor. We're on it." Blossom hung up the phone. "Girls!"

Bubbles and Buttercup flew into the bedroom.

"Blossom, what's wrong?" asked Bubbles.

"We need to go the Townsville Power Plant," said Blossom.

"What for?" asked Buttercup.

"I have a hunch our perp is there," said Blossom. "Let's go!"

The Powerpuff Girls flew out the window, souring high into the air and toward the power plant. They descended down to the plant, and as they got closer, they could see a large hole blasted into the side of the concrete walls of the building. They could hear the sounds of sirens blaring as well as see crowds of workers evacuating the building. The girls flew down to the crowd below, hovering over the people.

"Hey, could someone tell us what happened?" shouted Blossom.

One of his workers cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Someone broke into the power plant."

Concerned, the girls flew into the building through the hole, looking around for someone there.

"All right, whoever is in here, you better surrender and we'll go easy on you," shouted Blossom.

Rather than see a harden criminal or one of their usual supervillains, they were surprised to see a small creature walking on all fours monkey-like toward the girls. It was Maxwell, clutching the cylinder in his tail.

"I'm afraid it is you who should be begging for mercy," he said.

"What the heck are you?" said Buttercup. "Are you some sort of underfed rodent?"

He growled angrily. "You'll pay dearly for that comment. I am the Demon of Maxwell, and you will respect us."

"Us?" said Bubbles.

The girls turned around when they heard someone walk toward them. As the figure came into the light, they gasped as they saw his appearance. He was dressed in gray and black striped pants held up with a belt emblazed with a skull-shaped belt buckle. On top, he wore a white coat that ended at his knees and was open in the front to reveal a black shirt. What caught the girls by surprise was his face. He looked like a skeleton with snow white, hairless skin stretched over it. His ears and nose were shrunken down and his teeth were exposed in a skeletal grin, further giving his face the appearance of a skull. His eye sockets were sunken in, exposing two red glowing orbs that passed for eyes.

"Who...what are you?" stammered Bubbles.

"You may call me the Demon of Laplace," said the figure. "I am here to bring order and unity to Townsville."

Blossom looked back and forth at the two, thinking to herself, _The Demon of Maxwell? The Demon of Laplace? What are these guys?_

"I don't care who you are," shouted Buttercup. "We'll still kick your butts."

"You're more than welcome to try, but you'll surely fail," said Laplace, casually. "I intend on remaking Townsville with my power. I will make it into my own personal utopia."

"Yes, yes," said Maxwell, bouncing on his toes with excitement. "Master will make Townsville peaceful."

"And you three are simply annoying insects," Laplace raised his boney hand and curled it into a fist, "who'll get squashed if you get in my way."

"I'm not an insect," said Bubbles, defensively. "I hate bugs."

Blossom glared at Laplace, thinking about what he said. "You said that you plan on remaking Townsville into a utopia, but at what cost?"

"The only cost is you'll be trapped as lifeless figures in the background," said Laplace. "No major loss."

"Why you..." Buttercup charged toward Laplace and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. She flew across the room and rammed him against the wall with a loud crack. The concrete wall broke outward under the force of Buttercup's strength. When she let him go, Laplace slumped down onto the floor, his body fell limp as he lay unconscious.

Buttercup confidently dusted her hands. "Well that jerk was a push over."

"Not quite!"

Surprised, Buttercup turned around and saw Laplace back the way he was, unharmed and turning his head around, grinning his skeletal grin. Buttercup looked back at the wall, and to her surprise, not only was Laplace gone, but the wall was back to normal as if nothing had happened to it.

"But I..." stammered Buttercup.

The other girls looked on with shock.

"What just happened?" asked Bubbles.

Experimentally, Blossom fired her eye beams at Laplace. As expected, the eyebeams hit Laplace in the chest, knocking him over and onto the ground, leaving clear burn marks visible on his chest. Instantaneously, Laplace was back on his feet, unharmed, as if nothing had happened.

"What's going on here?" exclaimed Bubbles.

Buttercup watched Laplace from behind, not sure what to expect. That was when she noticed the pattern on the back of Laplace's coat. His coat had five round pips arranged in a circle on his back. Three of the pips were glowing green while the remaining two were black. Maxwell climbed up Laplace's coat and touched each of the black pips, turning them green.

"I wish I could stay, but a fight here would be a waste of time," said Laplace. "I'll continue this later today. Good bye, for now!"

Instantaneously, Laplace and Maxwell disappeared and the power plant was back to normal: the broken wall was fixed and the burglar alarms stopped ringing. The Powerpuff Girls hovered there in the middle of the room, dumbfounded from what they just saw.


	2. Chapter 2

The Demons of Townsville

Chapter 2

Laplace reappeared inside of a dilapidated warehouse, destroyed long ago by a monster attack. Although it had been long since abandoned, with just a thought, Laplace was able to reconstruct the building good as new. Every broken window, every broken or missing board, and even every speck of dust and insects were suddenly gone. The broken equipment and shelves were back in working condition, including every spare part and packaging items neatly folded or packed and placed where it belongs. The one thing Laplace couldn't do was restore the building's power, leaving the building dark save for the glow of sunlight beaming through the windows.

"What now, Master?" asked Maxwell as he casually lay onto a reconstructed roll of bubble wrap.

"We are strong, but to fully rid ourselves of the Powerpuff Girls, we need more power."

"I can keep it going." Maxwell happily clutched the Professor's cylinder as if it was a teddy bear. "I could supply you with lots of energy, Master."

Laplace let out an annoyed scoff. "That dinky little tube can't do much. We need something bigger. Currently, I can only undo the recent past and modify or repair broken objects. In order to affect the changes I want, I need more power. We need a larger sample of radioactive material."

Maxwell watched as Laplace paced back and forth in front of him. While adjusting his position on the bubble wrap and picking his nose, he said, "I know of a place where there is uranium."

Laplace scoffed in disgust. "Don't pick your nose in front of me."

Maxwell casually pulled out a booger and tossed it aside with a flick of his clawed finger. With a touch of his power, Laplace redirected the booger so it flew back and hit Maxwell in the eye.

"Ah!" Maxwell rubbed his eye. "Gross!"

"I told you not to pick your nose in front of me," said Laplace. "Now tell me, where is the uranium deposit?"

#

The girls returned to the Professor's lab to tell him what had happened.

"It was so strange," said Bubbles. "We saw Buttercup pick up the Demon of Laplace and then pow," she threw a punch into the air to mime the action, "right in the wall, and he just appeared back where he was as if nothing had happened."

The Professor put a hand to his chin in thought. "That's fascinating."

"But what's really strange is their names," said Blossom. "I get the feeling I've heard the names Maxwell and Laplace before."

"Well, I think you have," said the Professor. "Both the Demon of Laplace and the Demon of Maxwell are thought experiments."

"Thought experiments?" said Bubbles.

"Yes, they were created by physicists who were—"

"Professor!" interrupted Buttercup. "Are you going to give us another one of your boring science lectures?"

"Yes, but I'll keep it brief, and don't interrupt me again, young lady."

Buttercup crossed her arms and let out an irritable humph.

"The Demon of Laplace is the name of a thought experiment created by Pierre-Simon Laplace. He thought that if a creature had the power to know the positions, masses, and velocities of every atom in the universe, the creature could see the past, present, and future.

"The Demon of Maxwell is the name of a thought experiment created by James Clerk Maxwell who thought up a scenario where a creature could violate the Second Law of Thermodynamics. In short, the Second Law basically states that when atoms are contained in a closed system with no energy going in or out, there would eventually be chaos. The Demon of Maxwell supposedly could get around this law by dividing the faster moving hot atoms from the slower moving cold atoms and moving them to different sides of a container. If such a being exists, he would hypothetically have unlimited power."

The girls just looked on, uncertain as to what he was talking about.

"But what does that have to do with the demons we fought at the power plant?" asked Bubbles.

"I don't know. These are all just thought experiments, the demons are not suppose to be real. I have no idea what is going on here." The Professor scratched his chin in deep thought. "If only I had more information."

"Meow!"

The girls were surprised to see a black cat standing at the top of the stairs to the lab, looking down at them.

"Where did that kitty come from?" asked Bubbles.

"I must have forgotten to close the door when we came in," said Buttercup.

"I'll put the cat outside." Blossom flew through the lab and grabbed the cat. She carried it outside and left him on the front door.

"Meow! Meow!" said the cat.

"Look, I don't need you here," said Blossom. "Now, go home."

"Meow!" The cat meowed louder, seemingly agitated.

Blossom was about to shoo the cat away, when she heard the hotline go off. She flew up into the bedroom, picking it up.

"Yes, Mayor. What is it?"

"Powerpuff Girls, help, someone is robbing the military testing site outside of Townsville."

"We're on it, Mayor."

Without another word, the girls flew out the window, heading off. At their doorstep, the cat sat there, watching them go and meowing with annoyance.

#

The alarms blared loudly as Laplace stood over the open door to the walk-in safe. Various desk and computer monitors from the security personnel were scattered everywhere. The doors were bolted and sealed shut, barring anyone from entering or exiting save through Laplace's powers. Inside the safe was the site's supply of uranium. Maxwell, unaffected by the radiation, held up the sample of uranium in his one hand while he held the Professor's cylinder in the other. The sample of uranium slowly changed from a solid rock to a greenish fog of energy, reducing it to an atomic level.

"Yes, yes, Master..." said Maxwell, gleefully. "This uranium will make a perfect sample for me to work with."

"But first, you'll need a proper container," said Laplace, grabbing Maxwell's hand.

Converting an object to a past or future state is easy, but to completely alter it into something new requires more energy and more time. Although he didn't yet have a large enough container for the dividing cloud of uranium atoms, Maxwell was still able to generate enough power from just his hand for Laplace to reshape the Professor's container into a larger container. In a blink of an eye, the container was twice its size and thickness. The cloud of uranium was phased inside of it, so Maxwell could psychically work his will into it.

Maxwell held up the cylinder by his tail, which was only long enough to reach 2/3 of the way around it. "We should begin remaking Townsville."

"Not yet," said Laplace, "we still have to contend with the Powerpuff Girls." He looked up at the ceiling. Even though he couldn't see or hear them, he knew the Powerpuff Girls were there. He could feel their atoms coming closer.

"What should we do with them, Master?"

Laplace walked over to the nearby computer monitors. He put a clawed hand to the monitor, and grinned evilly. "Tell me. How much do you know about computers?"

"Not much," said Maxwell. "Why do you ask?"

"The funny thing about computers is they're a separate reality in and of themselves. A virtual world that is also made of atoms, and one I can sense and control. It'll be the perfect trap for the Powerpuff Girls..."

#

The Powerpuff Girls flew high over the base, looking down on it for any sign of damage or destruction. Blossom remembered how Laplace was able to undo any damage, so she knew he was probably covering his tracks.

"What do we do?" asked Buttercup, noticing nothing out of the ordinary.

"We should find someone here who can tell us..." Before Blossom could finish, the three of them suddenly felt an inkling. They all looked down at a spot in the center of the site. Located several levels below ground, they inexplicably knew that Laplace and Maxwell were down there. They could see Laplace and Maxwell breaking into the safe to steal uranium, almost as if they were recalling a forgotten memory.

"Do you guys suddenly get this strange feeling that the demons are down there?" asked Bubbles. "You know, like you can see them in your head?"

"Yeah, it's like I suddenly know where they are," said Buttercup. "What should we do?"

"We should be cautious," said Blossom. "Remember, these guys can control reality itself. I think they want to lure us into a trap. We'll go down there, but not all at once. I say one of us should take the lead and the rest of us should stay behind. If this is a trap, at least only one of us will fall for it."

"Are you sure that's a smart idea?" asked Bubbles.

Blossom let out a troubled sigh. "I don't know. We're up against very strange and powerful villains. If I knew more about them, I might come up with a better plan, but I don't know what else to do."

"Well..." Bubbles paused, not sure what to say. "Who's going down first?"

"Since this is my idea," said Blossom, with conviction, "it's only fair that I go in."

"No way," said Buttercup. "If anything happens to you, you won't be able to take charge. I'll go in. If it is a trap, I'll probably be more likely to muscle my way out."

"But..." Blossom stared at Buttercup. She didn't like the idea of endangering Buttercup, but as she thought about it, she knew she was right. "All right, but be careful."

"Hey, I may not know anything about physics," said Buttercup, "but a fist in the face works just as well."

With a confident smile, Buttercup dove down, descending toward the building, plowing through its roof with a loud bang, and burrowing deeper and deeper. Bubbles and Blossom trailed behind her, keeping her within eyesight, but not getting too close. Buttercup smashed through the room where her inkling had led her, scattering dust and debris everywhere as she came to a stop.

"All right, Laplace," she shouted, "where are you?" To her surprise, she only saw an empty lounge room with a desk and table nearby. "What the..."

"Buttercup, help!" shouted Blossom and Bubbles.

Buttercup flew up through the hole in the ceiling, but as soon as she did, she instantaneously found herself stuck in a void. It was as if she was ripped from her current plane of existence into another one. All around her were endless lines of binary numbers streaming in a torrent of code. Buttercup could see Blossom and Bubbles, also paralyzed and unable to move. Laplace and Maxwell materialized beside the girls, grinning evilly.

"What...?" stammered Blossom. "What did you do to us?"

"I needed you close enough to work my power upon you," said Laplace. "As you correctly deduced, I was the one who gave you that vision to lure you into a trap. It was the most I could do at such a long distance. You thought the trap was in the room I was luring you into, but it was just a distraction. Once you're backs were turned, I was able to implant you in a computer."

"A what?" asked Bubbles.

"The digital world of computers follows its own laws of physics," said Laplace. "All I did was simply transplant your bodies into the world of the computer. However, unlike your world, the world of a computer is not conducive for a living thing. In fact, the only thing that is enabling you to breath and talk is by my doing. However, once I leave, you'll be trapped inside the computer forever, nothing but nonsentient digital code."

"No!" said Blossom, struggling desperately to move.

"Don't worry, Townsville is in good hands," continued Laplace. "With my powers, I'll be able to reshape and remake this town into a utopian paradise. Of course, that will mean the destruction of all of Townsville and its citizens, but you can't have a beautiful garden without pruning a few branches."

"Please don't," whined Bubbles.

"I'm afraid I must go," said Laplace. "Enjoy your prison here."

Laplace vanished, and just as he threatened, the Powerpuff Girls found themselves frozen in time, reduced to digital code. Their minds preserved as part of the code, but they couldn't act or think. They were trapped there, unmoving...


	3. Chapter 3

The Demons of Townsville

Chapter 3

As instantaneously as before, the girls found themselves once again ripped from one reality and into another, this time trapping them in an enclosed space together.

"What happened?" asked Blossom, feeling her way in the dark.

"Where are we," asked Buttercup, "and whose foot is in my face?"

"That's mine," said Bubbles.

Before they could struggle out, the lid to their container opened. As light spilled through the opening, they realized they were trapped inside of a metal barrel that was on its side. Along with the girls, there was a computer hard drive, the one they were trapped in.

"Meow!"

The girls were surprised to hear and see the black cat meowing loudly. He held the lid of the barrel in his paw before dropping it to the floor. His unblinking eyes glared at the girls as if angry with them.

The girls wiggled free from the barrel, staring at the black cat, dumbfounded.

"It's that cat again," said Blossom.

"It can't be the same one we saw at the lab, could it?" asked Buttercup.

The cat meowed loudly and with annoyance.

"Come on, cat," said Blossom. "You can't stay here."

"Wait, the cat is trying to tell us he knows how to destroy the demons," said Bubbles.

"How do you know that?" asked Buttercup. "Don't tell me you can talk to cats, too."

"Well, cats aren't as talkative as squirrels and their accents are a little harder for me to understand, but yeah, I can understand cats."

Blossom stared at Bubbles, confused. "All right, so what is the cat saying?"

Bubbles knelt down to get closer to the cat's eye level. "Meow, meow, meow?"

"Meow, meow, meow, meow," the cat said.

Blossom and Buttercup watched as Bubbles talked to the cat.

"What the heck is she saying?" asked Buttercup.

"I don't know," said Blossom. "All they're doing is making the same noises over and over again. I don't understand how anyone can glean a coherent language from that."

Bubbles looked up at her sisters, a beaming smile on her face. "The cat says that the Demon of Laplace's powers only works when he has someone other than himself who can see and hear the effects of his powers. The cat threw the hard drive into the barrel so no one could see it, and when it was hidden from view, the power wore off and we escaped. He says all we have to do is trap the demons in an airtight container, and it would destroy them."

"Oh great," explained Buttercup. "Where are we going to find a container big enough?"

"Easy," said Blossom, "I can pick one up at the same place were I got the giant jar to capture Roach Coach, and where I got the giant match to destroy the fart monster."

"Okay, I've heard you talk about this place," said Buttercup, "but where is it?"

Blossom smiled, proudly. "It's easy to find. It's in-between..."

#

Meanwhile, Laplace and Maxwell were in the Mayor's office. Thanks to Laplace's boost in power, he was able to remake the office, transforming it into a Technicolor collage that covered the walls, furniture, and knickknacks in the office. The Mayor and Miss Bellum sat in the corner, tied up in ropes that were also dyed in garish colors.

"I must admit, I really like what you've done to the place," said the Mayor.

"Why thank you," said Laplace. "I always thought this place needed more color, but that's only the beginning. I'll remake all of Townsville into whatever I want, a paradise for myself."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," said The Mayor.

"And I'll start with you." With a grin on his face, Laplace snapped his fingers (not because it did anything, it was just for show) and The Mayor instantaneously became an oversized pickle.

"What do you think, Miss Bellum?" asked Laplace.

"At least he's quiet," said Miss Bellum.

"And you'll be quiet too when..." Laplace trailed off as he looked out the windows in confusion. "It can't be."

"What is it, Master?" asked Maxwell as he lounged on the Mayor's couch.

"The Powerpuff Girls have been freed. I sense their atoms coming closer."

"How?"

"I don't know." Laplace concentrated as he tried to work out what had happened. He could trace the past path of the Powerpuff Girls' atoms, but the point where they were freed from the computer's hard drive seemed blocked from his senses. It was like being able to see backward through every frame of animation on a cartoon, only to find frames of one scene inexplicably missing. What was also particularly strange was Bubbles seemed partially masked by Laplace's senses as if she was holding someone or something he can't sense.

"Master?" asked Maxwell, getting up from the couch.

"There is something very strange here," said Laplace. "Someone is helping them...someone who is not of this reality..."

#

The cat purred affectionately in Bubbles's arms. Even though he was high off the ground, he seemed relaxed and happy as Bubbles affectionately stroked his ears.

"Aw, you're so cute," said Bubbles. "You're much nicer than that mean ol' kitty who tried to take over the Professor's mind."

"Bubbles, we need to be on alert," said Blossom. "We're almost at City Hall." Clasped in Blossom's grip was a large metal cylinder with an airtight lid on top, easily large enough to hold a full grown man.

"Meow, meow," said the cat.

"He said the demons are in the Mayor's office," said Bubbles.

"Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow."

"He said the demons know we're coming."

"So we can't just sneak attack them," said Blossom. "What can we do?"

"Meow, meow, meow."

"He said we should land outside on the streets."

"Then let's do it," said Blossom.

The three landed right on the street outside City Hall. Blossom set down the container on the sidewalk, keeping it upright.

"Okay, we're here," said Buttercup. "Now what?"

The cat leaped out of Bubbles's arms. He held up three leaves of catnip, seemingly conjured out of thin air.

"Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow," said the cat.

Bubbles stared at the cat, confused.

"What did he say?" asked Buttercup.

"Uh, he said if we eat the catnip, we would be granted the power to combat the Demon of Laplace. We'll be able to see into all points of the multiverse, and we would temporarily be granted the power of...uh...!"

"Meow, meow, meow."

"It would grant us qua...qua-tu..." Bubbles awkwardly stumbled with the word, "quantum...immortality."

Buttercup stared at Bubbles, confused. "What's 'quantum immortality?'"

"I guess we'll find out," said Blossom. "Bubbles and I will take the first dose while Buttercup waits here. If this catnip wears off before we finish the demons, Buttercup will have to take over for us."

Bubbles and Blossom took the catnip from the cat and popped the leaves into their mouths, cringing at the bitter taste before swallowing.

"Yuck!" said Bubbles. "This tastes worse than the Broccoloids."

"No time to worry about that," said Blossom, gagging on the leaf. "Let's go!"

The two flew toward the walls of City Hall, leaving Buttercup and the cat behind. They broke into the building's wall where Laplace had already erected a stone barrier in the office to slow them down. They plowed through the wall like it was nothing, reducing it to pieces. Before they could react, Laplace worked his power on them, transforming the two into potted cacti.

As soon as he did, the effects of the catnip did its work: The girls suddenly found themselves omnisciently aware of different possibilities in different realities. As if the multiverse was spread out before them like a deck of cards, they could see different outcomes. In some universes, they changed into statues. In others, they became dolls, or trees, or animals, or furniture. As they searched the possibilities, they eventually found some possibilities where one girl was changed but the other was able to dodge Laplace's power. They eventually found a reality where both escaped Laplace's power. They honed on that reality, and they were able to alter the universe so that became the outcome. It was like taking frames of an animation, removing several frames, and replacing them with new frames, changing the story.

Instantaneously, the negative outcome was undone, and the girls dove toward Laplace, punching him in the face. Predictably, he used his powers to alter reality so he would be right behind them, unharmed. Afterward, he changed the girls into furniture, but once again, the girls were able to foresee different possibilities until they found a reality where they reacted fast enough to spin around and pummel him with their eye beams. They struck Laplace, knocking him over onto his back. Maxwell ran to him, putting a claw to his coat and recharging the glowing pips on the back of Laplace's coat.

"What's going on here?" asked Bubbles, surprised. "Are we altering reality like Laplace?"

"I don't think so," said Blossom. "We're not changing reality. We're just altering how events happen."

"I don't know how you got that power," said Laplace, getting back up on his feet, "but it won't help you here. Maxwell!"

"Yes, Master!" Maxwell climbed up Laplace's coat, clinging tightly to the collar of his coat, ready to recharge him at a moment's notice.

"Bubbles, Plan GK-581," shouted Blossom.

Holding hands, the two flew toward Laplace while spinning like a pinwheel. Laplace erected a brick will in front of himself. The wall was harder than the girls anticipated, so they crashed hard into it, leaving them dazed. Once again, quantum immortality allowed them to see multiple possibilities where Blossom gave different orders.

"Bubbles, Plan Up-and-Under," said Blossom as reality fixed on a new outcome.

The girls flew straight for Laplace, and like before, he erected a wall. This time, Blossom dove under the wall while Bubbles flew over it, plowing through the floor and ceiling in the process. Both girls came up on Laplace from both below and above at the same time, grabbing him from his head and feet. Laplace immediately altered reality, this time allowing him to dodge the girls as they came up. The girls swerved and punched Laplace in the chest, knocking him into the wall. Laplace changed the outcome again, instantaneously teleporting himself across the room just as the girls burst through the floor and ceiling. The girls charged toward Laplace. Before he could dodge, they tackled him and held him in place. Locating another computer from a nearby room, Laplace willed the girls into the computer's software. Instantaneously, the girls' quantum immortality changed the outcome again. This time, rather than charging Laplace, Bubbles took in a deep breath and let out a sonic scream. Laplace and Maxwell covered their ears to block out the noise. Laplace altered the air, instantly silencing the noise, but by the time he'd done that, Blossom was already darting toward him. Laplace dodged out of the way, but Blossom grabbed Maxwell from his shoulders and flew off with him.

"Come back here," ordered Laplace. He saw Bubbles flying toward him, and she tackled him, holding him in place.

Blossom smashed right through the walls of City Hall with Maxwell struggling to break free.

"Buttercup, open the lid," shouted Blossom.

Buttercup opened the lid to the container.

"Let me go, you little brat!" shouted Maxwell as Blossom tossed him and the Professor's invention inside the barrel.

Buttercup closed the lid and sealed it tight.

"So, now what?" asked Buttercup.

The girls waited for something to happen. They thought there would be a sound, or an explosion, or some visual cue that something was happening. However, nothing happened. They couldn't even hear Maxwell inside.

"So, did it work?" asked Blossom.

Buttercup saw Laplace step out of city hall with Bubbles, transformed into a rag doll, clutched in his claws. She ducked behind the container, just in time as Laplace transformed Blossom into a doll. The effects of the catnip had worn off, and Bubbles and Blossom were stuck as dolls.

"Damn you, Powerpuff Girls," shouted Laplace.

Buttercup hid behind the container alongside the cat. She quickly peeked around the container to see Laplace tossing Bubbles aside as he walked toward her. She turned to the cat in a panic, asking for help, when the cat with a catnip leaf in his paw shoved the leaf into Buttercup's open mouth. She forced herself to swallow the leaf, gagging at the bitter taste. Not sure what to expect, Buttercup blindly flew around the container and toward Laplace.

"Stay back," shouted Laplace. He erected a wall of fire before him. When Buttercup flew through the wall, the flames burned her skin and her clothes. As soon as she was burned, quantum immortality was activated, and she found herself aware of different outcomes. She eventually settled on an outcome where she reacted in time to blow the flames out of her way. As Laplace backed off from the arc of fire heading his way, Buttercup charged toward him and punched him hard in the chest, sending him reeling and toppling over, landing hard on the ground, lying face down. Buttercup stared down at him, and she noticed that the pips on the back of his coat were again changing colors: three were black and two were glowing green.

 _I get it now,_ thought Buttercup. _He can't keep this up forever._

Buttercup dove toward Laplace, smashing his back against into the ground and causing the concrete to crack. Laplace used his power to alter reality, allowing him to instead roll out of the way as Buttercup came toward him, smashing the concrete with her fists. Laplace performed an acrobatic move, rolling onto his feet. As he moved, Buttercup got a glimpse of his back, and saw that four of the pips were now black and only one was green. Buttercup charged toward Laplace and kicked him in the stomach, sending him rolling onto the ground in pain. Buttercup was about to charge, when all of a sudden, the ground changed into a smooth, shiny, and black rock. Buttercup suddenly smashed against the ground hard. She lay there on her back, stuck to the ground.

"What the...?" Buttercup tried to pry herself off of the ground, but to her surprise, she could barely move as if her body became heavy like lead. She was barely able to turn her head around to see Laplace standing over her, unaffected by the intense gravity. She used quantum immortality to get out of the predicament, but as she quickly realized, there were no solutions. Laplace had altered the gravity in the area, making it much stronger. In different outcomes, she tried to fly away from the gravity, but the reach of the gravity field was too wide for her to escape in time. She searched in vain for different possibilities, but there was none where she could avoid the gravity. Laplace turned around to face the container. As he did, Buttercup could see that all of the pips on his coat had turned black. Laplace was powerless, but Buttercup could only lie there, helpless.

"I don't know who's been helping you," said Laplace, "but it will do you no good."

He walked to the container with Maxwell inside, sitting on the sidewalk outside of the gravity. He tipped the container on its side, squatted down in front of the lid, and he opened it. He got on all fours to look for Maxwell, but to his surprise, Maxwell was gone. All that was left was the Professor's cylinder, which was reverted back to normal.

"What happened?" shouted Laplace. "Where is he?"

To Buttercup saw the cat walking out from behind the container, and gave her a knowing look. Immediately understanding what she had to do, Buttercup fired her eye beams and pushed Laplace into the container with a direct hit on the rear. The cat picked up the lid and secured it to the container. Long, arduous seconds passed as Laplace remained trapped. Buttercup struggled to move against the gravity, but without warning, she was able to move again, launching herself off the ground before stopping to stabilize herself. Instantaneously, everything was back to normal. She looked about the area, and could see Bubbles and Blossom back to their proper form. When she looked at City Hall, she saw the Mayor and Miss Bellum stepping out of the front door, unharmed and unbound.

"What happened?" asked Bubbles.

"Well, I was able to push the Demon of Laplace into the container, and the cat put the lid on it."

The cat opened the lid of the container, and sure enough, just like with Maxwell, Laplace was gone.

"We did it, girls," cheered Bubbles.

"I still don't get it, though," said Buttercup. "What happened to them? How did putting them in a container destroy them?"

"Like the cat said, Laplace's powers only work if there's someone to see and hear their powers," said Blossom. "They're thought experiments, and weren't meant to exist. I guess the only way they could exist was they needed someone there to be aware of them. I actually find it interesting. It makes me wonder how much of our reality is dependent on how we perceive it."

"I still don't get it," said Buttercup, irritably.

"And you probably never will," said Bubbles.

"What do you mean by that?" shouted Buttercup.

Before Bubbles could say more, they heard the cat once again meowing loudly. He stood on the street, staring at them.

"What's he saying now?" asked Buttercup.

"He says he wants us to fly him home," said Bubbles.

"We can do that," said Blossom. "It's the least we can do."

Bubbles happily flew down to the cat and scooped him up into her arms. She looked closely at the tag on the cat's collar, reading the address.

"He doesn't live far from here," she said.

"Good," said Blossom as she looked at the setting sun, "because we need to get home before bedtime."

#

The girls found the address, which led to a small house in the urban parts of Townsville. Sitting on the front porch was an old man who sat in a rocking chair, quietly staring out on the streets. The girls flew up to the man with the cat clutched in Bubbles's arms. The old man blinked his tired old eyes.

"Are those angels flying before my eyes?" he asked.

"Uh...no," said Bubbles. "We're the Powerpuff Girls, and we're here to return your cat."

The cat let out a soft meow.

"Oh, thank you!" The old man reached out and grabbed the cat, cradling him in his arms. "You three are so nice returning my cat to me. Would you like to come inside? I think I still have some cookies left."

"No, thank you," said Blossom, "it's getting late and we need to go home. It was nice of you to offer, Mister...uh..."

"Schrödinger," the man answered.

Blossom gawked at him, surprised. "Wh...What's your name?"

"Just call me Mr. Schrödinger," said the old man.

Blossom stared at Schrödinger's cat held in his owner's arms, and she finally understood.

"Is something wrong?" asked Mr. Schrödinger.

"Oh no, just make sure you don't leave that cat in any boxes any time soon," said Blossom.

#

 **So once again, the day is saved thanks to...hypothetical quantum physics and the Powerpuff Girls.**

 _Author's Note:_ _Information on the Demon of Laplace, the Demon of Maxwell, Schrödinger's Cat, and Quantum Immortality were acquired through_ "The Physics Book" _written by Clifford A. Pickover._


End file.
